Removing OEM carbon filter?

I opened up my intake the other day to take a peek around and there is this big grate with the lower half containing a filter on it. Injen told me that no intake will be carb legal because they must retain the filter so obviously it seems to somehow help the emissions but I have no idea how. Is there any harm in removing it? Az isn't nearly as strict and it seems to me that the filter is just a hindrance to airflow since it seems to block about half the intake tract. Has anyone removed this bit yet? It seems like a simple solution to free up some flow I think that along with a drop in filter will aid things a whole lot.

As I'm writing this I found a thread showing that fig had removed his, any updates?

here is a pic of it. Its along the bottom half, the top is left open presumably for the secondary intake tract that opens up.